Wednesday, April 28, 2010

In the Day of a Novel-In-Progress

So, today I'm going to share a little of the journey to complete a novel. I've planned for this book...have lived with the characters in my head for months while I was completing In The Shadow of Evil...know the basic outline. I begin by writing the prologue. Let me go on record as telling everyone I love prologues. Absolutely love them. I write the prologue and lo and behold, I love it. Now I begin on the first 3 chapters. And this is when I realize I must change the manner in which I'm telling the story for at least the first act of the book. I must write in a way I've never written before. Will it work? I haven't a clue, but that's what the story demands. And herein is my point (yeah, I know, took me long enough to get to it, right?)...sometimes, writers must step out of our comfort zone in our writing ability to work the story the best way, FOR the story. We must set aside our tried and trues, our security nets, and stretch. Reaching for the holy grail of the story. That's what I'm trying to do. Is it working? Hmm...not sure yet, but if not and I have to come up with a different way to tell this story, I'll still have grown from the exercise.

How about you other writers? Stretching and growing for the betterment of your story? Would love to hear ways you've struggle to do what's best for the story, and how you managed!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Summer Plans

From the Rust to Press Release, ECPA:

B&H Fiction Announces Thriller Tour 2010

Tosca Lee, Brandilyn Collins, Jim Rubart & Robin Caroll Team Up for Unprecedented Major City Book Tour


NASHVILLE—Four suspense novelists are joining forces for the B&H Fiction Thriller Tour 2010. Authors Tosca Lee, Jim Rubart, Robin Caroll, and Brandilyn Collins—newest of the B&H Fiction suspense authors—will make their way from St. Louis, site of the International Christian Retailing Show this June, to ThrillerFest in New York City via Philadelphia. Julie Gwinn, Trade Marketing Director at B&H Fiction, said, “This summer, B&H is taking its four suspense authors on a tour from ICRS in St. Louis to ThrillerFest in New York City. James L. Rubart, Robin Caroll, Tosca Lee, and new B&H author Brandilyn Collins will be attending store signings and media events on a tour route that climaxes at the International Thriller Writers’ ThrillerFest, where our authors will join up with suspense and mystery writers from around the world.”

Timed to coincide with the great summer reading season, the four authors will launch the tour with a kick-off event at ICRS in St. Louis, travel to Philadelphia, and then on to New York City where their journey will culminate at ITW’s ThrillerFest. Each stop on the tour will be filled with events, from book signings to library appearances to media interviews, all targeted to the authors’ current fans and those new admirers they are sure to gather along the way. “I think I can speak for us all when I say we love our readers. So while I could say this tour is going to be a unique opportunity for readers to interact with four authors, it's really a great opportunity for us to spend time with our readers,” said best-selling author, Tosca Lee.

Bringing the authors directly to the readers is B&H’s goal with this tour, and having the opportunity to participate in ThrillerFest makes it even more exciting. In addition to different activities in three exciting cities, the quartet will capitalize on various media opportunities, from traditional print and broadcast to emerging online and social media, to engage fans en route to New York City. Additionally, the authors will be traveling together, which will foster momentum and spark energy throughout the ten-day tour. Marketing expert and author Jim Rubart said, "Getting to talk to readers, great cities to visit, hanging out with three of my fave authors…this is going to be cool!"

Never before has there been a book tour that focuses on suspense like the B&H Thriller Tour 2010, and the newest B&H Fiction suspense author, Brandilyn Collins, is eager to be a part. “This tour kicks off my new partnership with B&H Publishing. I look forward to seeing my readers during the tour, and, beyond that, I’m excited about the future suspense novels I will be publishing with B&H.”

The B&H Thriller Tour 2010 will begin at ICRS in St. Louis on June 25, route through Philadelphia June 30-July 6, and conclude at ThrillerFest in New York City on July 10. For more information on the tour, please contact Jeane Wynn, Wynn-Wynn Media, at jeane@wynnwynnmedia.com.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010